It's begun - Pilot Season 2006

Happy New Year!

Well this past week I returned to my day job. I was off for about 10 days, so it took me some time to get back into the swing of things. I can’t even explain how happy I will be once I can say that I’m a full time actor. 15 years in the making...

I’ve got to force myself to sit down and draw up a complete master list of all the stuff I need to get done and/or scheduled over the next few months so that I don’t forget anything. (i.e. Dr’s appointments, meetings, passport, classes, baby stuff, braids, taxes, etc.) I predict that I’m going to be VERY busy and VERY tired til about early fall...that's when I pray the baby will be sleeping through the night...:)...I really needed this past time off to prepare myself and get as much rest as I could. Let’s just say I slept a whole lot!

Anyway, on the acting front, I sent my theatrical agent an e-mail early last week telling her I’d like to come in and meet with her and my commercial agent to talk about their plans for me this Pilot Season. I haven't heard back yet. I sent her an e-mail yesterday asking her to pitch me for a Pilot I’d really like to get seen for. (I already submitted myself for it through Actors Access.) So, we’ll see what happens. I’m five months pregnant now, and really showing, so I’m sure she’ll be hesitant in pitching me for anything, but hey we can at least try right?!?

I contacted the Managers who’d replied to my e-mail last month to set up some appointments.

I never heard anything about the Verizon job, but it’s all good because I feel like I did my thing at the audition, which is all I can do. I was surprised, being 2 days before Christmas, there were A LOT of actors there!

An actress friend of mine was nice enough to forward an e-mail to me over the Holidays, a writer over at BackStage West was seeking responses for an article she’s doing. I responded, so hopefully I will get to be in another issue. Click Here and Here to see the article I did last year.

Speaking of this article, I was a little embarrassed about the way I came off. My responses about my family seem so insensitive, but anyone who knows me knows what I meant. Being a wife, mom, AND an actress can be very tough. Every time my husband and I decide to have more children, it throws a monkey wrench in everything I've worked for as an actor, I'm pretty much out of the game for at least a year, and I just think that's unfair. (Other women know my plight, an actress in NYC just sent me an e-mail last month asking for my advice on how to successfully be a wife, mom, and an actress.) I'm not sure I know the answer to that question yet, but hey, I've decided that if the industry says I have to put my acting career on hold, I'm willing to do that for my family. But in the meantime, I can still do what I need to do to stay ready!

With that being said, here is my updated Plan of Action:

• Braids done again. (I took them out for the Holidays.)
• Hard copies of the three headshots I currently use. (Rush job!)
• Voice Over Reel (Aagh!)
• Passport (I only have a few more days.)
• Research and sign up for a Commercial Workshop.
• ITA Workshops (attend at least one a month)
• I’d like to get my teeth whitened. (I have to call and see if I can get this done while pregnant.)
• Press Kit (Since "Who's Who Of Stage And Screen" Volume 2 won’t be done until this Spring, I guess I can get started on this. However, I will probably wait and see if the article I mentioned above materializes.)

Here's wishing all you actors many broken legs this Pilot Season,

Shenita.